Regeneratable dehumidifying bag having doubly-protected humidity indicator

ABSTRACT

A dehumidifying bag includes a water-vapor permeable pouch  1 , a desiccant material  2  filled in the pouch  1  for absorbing moisture through the pouch for dehumidifying a surrounding wherein the pouch  1  is placed, and a doubly-protected humidity indicator  3  printed on an outer surface of the pouch  1  for reminding an user for replacing or regenerating the desiccant material  2  when saturated by moisture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

European patent application No. 08250385.5, also invented by the present inventor, disclosed a regenerative dehumidifying bag having a humidity indicator printed on an outer surface of the pouch, whereby upon saturation of water vapor as absorbed by the desiccant material in the pouch, a color-changeable marking of the humidity indicator changes the color for reminding the user for replacing or regenerating the desiccant material in the pouch.

However, such a prior art has the following drawbacks:

1.When heating or regenerating the pouch after being saturated with moisture, the water vapor as vaporized may penetrate the color-changeable marking of the humidity indicator to moisten, dissolve and remove the cobalt chloride, to thereby fade the marking color of the humidity indicator gradually.

2. The user, when touching the marking of the humidity indicator, may wet the cobalt chloride by his or her sweat to dissolve and remove the cobalt chloride, thereby losing its color-changing effect of the humidity indicator.

3. The cobalt chloride as laden in the water vapor when heated or wetted as aforementioned may transfer to the surrounding objects or articles to cause their contamination.

4.Since cobalt chloride has been considered as a carcinogen, the color-changeable marking of the prior art may influence, more or less, the human's health as lacking of outer protective layer on the marking of the humidity indicator. The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the prior art and invented the present dehumidifying bag having a protective layer provided thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidifying bag including a water-vapor permeable pouch 1, a desiccant material 2 filled in the pouch 1 for absorbing moisture through the pouch for dehumidifying a surrounding wherein the pouch 1 is placed, and a doubly-protected humidity indicator 3 printed on an outer surface of the pouch 1 for reminding an user for replacing or regenerating the desiccant material 2 when saturated by moisture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective drawing of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional drawing of the dehumidifying bag of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the cobalt chloride as inwardly bound in the capillary of silica gel granule and outwardly locked by an acrylic resin in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the present invention as enlarged from FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in the drawing figures, the present invention comprises: a water-vapor permeable pouch or bag 1, a desiccant material 2 selected from silica gel or other water-vapor absorbing materials filled in the pouch 1, and a doubly-protected humidity indicator 3 printed or coated on an outer surface of the pouch 1 and capillarily communicated with the desiccant material 2 in the pouch 1.

The pouch 1 in made of water-vapor permeable materials for capillarily passing water vapor and air through a thickness of the pouch. The materials such as high density fibrous member, knitted sheet, woven or non-woven cloth having porosity or capillary pores formed therethrough are preferable. The pouch 1 may be well closed for sealably storing the desiccant material 2 therein without leakage.

The doubly-protected humidity indicator 3 of the present invention comprises: a color-changeable pattern 31 printed or coated on an outer surface of the pouch 1; and an air or vapor permeable transparent protective layer 32 coated or covered on an outer surface of the color-changeable pattern 31, whereby upon saturation of water vapor as absorbed by the desiccant material 2 in the pouch 1, the color-changeable pattern 31 of the humidity indicator 3 changes the color for reminding an user for replacing or regenerating the desiccant material in the pouch 1.

The color-changeable pattern 31 is presented by a printing ink which includes: a plurality of silica gel granules 311, each granule 311 having cobalt chloride or copper sulfate 313 inwardly bound in a plurality of capillaries 312 formed in each granule 311, and outwardly locked by an air or vapor permeable resin binder 314; with the silica gel granules 311 dispersed in the resin binder 314 to form the printing ink to be adhered on the outer surface of the pouch 1.

The printing ink of the color-changeable pattern 31 is prepared by the following process steps:

-   -   A. Binding cobalt chloride or copper sulfate 313 into a         plurality of capillaries 312 formed in each silica gel granule         311 by mixing aqueous solution of cobalt chloride or copper         sulfate with the silica gel granules to be a paste;     -   B. Adding an air or vapor permeable resin binder 314, preferably         an acrylic resin, together with a surfactant into the paste by         well agitation to form the printing ink of the color-changeable         pattern 31.

The air or vapor permeable transparent protective layer 32 is made of air or vapor permeable transparent resin, preferable transparent acrylic resin, which may be coated or printed on the outer surface of the color-changeable pattern 31.

The transparent protective layer 32 has a plurality of micropores formed therethrough to be air or vapor permeable to allow the removal of the vapor as vaporized when heating and regenerating the bag of the present invention. Since the vapor as vaporized may pass through the micropores in the protective layer 32, it may help a smooth regeneration of the saturated desiccant material 2 in the bag.

However, when an user's finger touches the humidity indicator 3, the protective layer 32 will prevent a direct contact of the user's finger with the cobalt chloride (which may be poisonous) as locked in the inner layer of pattern 31, thereby protecting human health.

When the bag of the present invention is placed in an interior of a cabinet or in a room to allow the desiccant material 2 for absorbing moisture from its surrounding, and upon saturation of moisture absorbed by the desiccant material 2 in the pouch 1, the cobalt chloride will change its color from a blue color to a pink color which may be clearly observed through the transparent layer 32, indicating that the desiccant material 2 should be regenerated. Since the acrylic resin 314 is hydrophilic, the moisture may pass through the pouch 1 and penetrate into the capillaries 312 to contact the cobalt chloride (or copper sulfate) 313 “locked” in the silica gel 311 for humidity indication.

If the cobalt chloride is substituted with copper sulfate, and upon saturation of moisture, it will change color from white to azure blue.

The features of the pattern 31 of the humidity indicator 3 are not limited to be that as shown in the present invention.

The humidity indicator 3 may be formed as an art figure, a decorative features, an advertising presentation, and any other descriptive features, not limited in the present invention.

After saturation of the desiccant material in the pouch 1, it may be placed in a micro-oven, a heater, or exposed under solar radiation for regeneration of the desiccant material by vaporizing and removing the moisture as absorbed in the desiccant material.

Reversibly, when the color has been changed back to its original color, it indicates that the regeneration of the desiccant material has been completed.

The resin as used in the present invention is preferably selected from hydrophilic or water-based acrylic resin.

The present invention, especially the doubly-protected humidity indicator 3, may have the following advantages to be superior to the prior art:

1.The cobalt chloride or copper sulfate has been inwardly bound into the capillaries in the silica gel granules, and is further outwardly “locked” by the acrylic resin, like the encapsulation of the silica gel granules by the acrylic resin, so that the cobalt chloride or copper sulfate will not be easily removed by outside moisture or vapor to be stably printed on the pouch, thereby preventing easy decolorization of the pattern 31 and prolonging the life of the printing ink of the humidity indicator.

2.The protective layer 32 will prevent a direct contact with the poisonous cobalt chloride by the user's hand, thereby protecting his or her health and also enhancing environmental protection.

3. When heating for regenerating the desiccant material, the vapor as vaporized may be easily emitted through the air or vapor permeable protective layer 32 to thereby facilitate the regeneration process.

4.The outer transparent layer, made of acrylic resin, may form a glossy layer, thereby enriching the decorative effect of the dehumidifying bag of the present invention.

The present invention provides a humidity indicator, having an inner protected layer of cobalt chloride (or copper sulfate) as “interlocked” among silica gel and resin binder; and having an outer protected resin layer for protecting the user and the environment, thereby designated as “doubly-protected humidity indicator”.

The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. A regeneratable dehumidifying bag comprising: a water-vapor permeable pouch; a desiccant material selected from water-vapor absorbing materials and filled in the pouch, and a doubly-protected humidity indicator printed or coated on an outer surface of said pouch, and capillarily communicated with the desiccant material in the pouch; the improvement which comprises: said doubly-protected humidity indicator comprising: a color-changeable pattern printed or coated on the outer surface of the pouch; and an air or vapor permeable transparent protective layer coated or covered on an outer surface of the color-changeable pattern, whereby upon saturation of water vapor as absorbed by the desiccant material in the pouch, the color-changeable pattern of the humidity indicator changes the color for reminding an user for replacing or regenerating the desiccant material in the pouch.
 2. A bag according to claim 1, wherein said color-changeable pattern is presented by printing or coating a printing ink on the pouch, said printing ink including: a plurality of silica gel granules, each said granule having cobalt chloride or copper sulfate inwardly bound in a plurality of capillaries formed in each said granule, and having said cobalt chloride or copper sulfate outwardly locked by an air or vapor permeable resin binder; with the silica gel granules dispersed in the resin binder to form the printing ink to be adhered on the outer surface of the pouch.
 3. A bag according to claim 2, wherein said printing ink of the color-changeable pattern is prepared by the following process steps: A. Binding cobalt chloride or copper sulfate into a plurality of capillaries formed in each said silica gel granule by mixing an aqueous solution of cobalt chloride or copper sulfate with the silica gel granules to be a paste; and B. Adding an air or vapor permeable water-based acrylic resin binder, together with a surfactant into the paste by well agitation to form the printing ink of the color-changeable pattern.
 4. A bag according to claim 1, wherein said air or vapor permeable transparent protective layer is made of air or vapor permeable transparent acrylic resin. 